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Oechslin F, Zhu X, Morency C, Somerville V, Shi R, Moineau S. Fermentation Practices Select for Thermostable Endolysins in Phages. Mol Biol Evol 2024; 41:msae055. [PMID: 38489607 PMCID: PMC10980517 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msae055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Endolysins are produced by (bacterio)phages and play a crucial role in degrading the bacterial cell wall and the subsequent release of new phage progeny. These lytic enzymes exhibit a remarkable diversity, often occurring in a multimodular form that combines different catalytic and cell wall-binding domains, even in phages infecting the same species. Yet, our current understanding lacks insight into how environmental factors and ecological niches may have influenced the evolution of these enzymes. In this study, we focused on phages infecting Streptococcus thermophilus, as this bacterial species has a well-defined and narrow ecological niche, namely, dairy fermentation. Among the endolysins found in phages targeting this species, we observed limited diversity, with a singular structural type dominating in most of identified S. thermophilus phages. Within this prevailing endolysin type, we discovered a novel and highly conserved calcium-binding motif. This motif proved to be crucial for the stability and activity of the enzyme at elevated temperatures. Ultimately, we demonstrated its positive selection within the host's environmental conditions, particularly under the temperature profiles encountered in the production of yogurt, mozzarella, and hard cheeses that rely on S. thermophilus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Oechslin
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
- Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
| | - Xiaojun Zhu
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Carlee Morency
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
- Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
| | - Vincent Somerville
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
- Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Rong Shi
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Sylvain Moineau
- Département de biochimie, de microbiologie, et de bio-informatique, Faculté des sciences et de génie, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
- Institut de Biologie Intégrative et des Systèmes (IBIS), Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand, Université Laval, Quebec City, Canada
- Groupe de recherche en écologie buccale, Faculté de médecine dentaire, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
- Félix d’Hérelle Reference Center for Bacterial Viruses, Université Laval, Québec City, Canada
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2
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Photenhauer AL, Villafuerte-Vega RC, Cerqueira FM, Armbruster KM, Mareček F, Chen T, Wawrzak Z, Hopkins JB, Vander Kooi CW, Janeček Š, Ruotolo BT, Koropatkin NM. The Ruminococcus bromii amylosome protein Sas6 binds single and double helical α-glucan structures in starch. Nat Struct Mol Biol 2024; 31:255-265. [PMID: 38177679 PMCID: PMC11081458 DOI: 10.1038/s41594-023-01166-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Resistant starch is a prebiotic accessed by gut bacteria with specialized amylases and starch-binding proteins. The human gut symbiont Ruminococcus bromii expresses Sas6 (Starch Adherence System member 6), which consists of two starch-specific carbohydrate-binding modules from family 26 (RbCBM26) and family 74 (RbCBM74). Here, we present the crystal structures of Sas6 and of RbCBM74 bound with a double helical dimer of maltodecaose. The RbCBM74 starch-binding groove complements the double helical α-glucan geometry of amylopectin, suggesting that this module selects this feature in starch granules. Isothermal titration calorimetry and native mass spectrometry demonstrate that RbCBM74 recognizes longer single and double helical α-glucans, while RbCBM26 binds short maltooligosaccharides. Bioinformatic analysis supports the conservation of the amylopectin-targeting platform in CBM74s from resistant-starch degrading bacteria. Our results suggest that RbCBM74 and RbCBM26 within Sas6 recognize discrete aspects of the starch granule, providing molecular insight into how this structure is accommodated by gut bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda L Photenhauer
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | | | - Filipe M Cerqueira
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Krista M Armbruster
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Filip Mareček
- Laboratory of Protein Evolution, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Tiantian Chen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Zdzislaw Wawrzak
- Northwestern Synchrotron Research Center-LS-CAT, Northwestern University, Argonne, IL, USA
| | - Jesse B Hopkins
- The Biophysics Collaborative Access Team (BioCAT), Department of Biological, Chemical, and Physical Sciences, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Craig W Vander Kooi
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Štefan Janeček
- Laboratory of Protein Evolution, Institute of Molecular Biology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | | | - Nicole M Koropatkin
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
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3
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Saporta-Katz O, Moriel A. Self-driven configurational dynamics in frustrated spring-mass systems. Phys Rev E 2024; 109:024219. [PMID: 38491674 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.109.024219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Various physical systems relax mechanical frustration through configurational rearrangements. We examine such rearrangements via Hamiltonian dynamics of simple internally stressed harmonic four-mass systems. We demonstrate theoretically and numerically how mechanical frustration controls the underlying potential energy landscape. Then, we examine the harmonic four-mass systems' Hamiltonian dynamics and relate the onset of chaotic motion to self-driven rearrangements. We show such configurational dynamics may occur without strong precursors, rendering such dynamics seemingly spontaneous.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ori Saporta-Katz
- Computer Science and Applied Mathematics Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Avraham Moriel
- Chemical and Biological Physics Department, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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4
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Wang C, Paiva TO, Motta C, Speziale P, Pietrocola G, Dufrêne YF. Catch Bond-Mediated Adhesion Drives Staphylococcus aureus Host Cell Invasion. NANO LETTERS 2023. [PMID: 37267288 DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c01387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Various viruses and pathogenic bacteria interact with annexin A2 to invade mammalian cells. Here, we show that Staphylococcus aureus engages in extremely strong catch bonds for host cell invasion. By means of single-molecule atomic force microscopy, we find that bacterial surface-located clumping factors bind annexin A2 with extraordinary strength, indicating that these bonds are extremely resilient to mechanical tension. By determining the lifetimes of the complexes under increasing mechanical stress, we demonstrate that the adhesins form catch bonds with their ligand that are capable to sustain forces of 1500-1700 pN. The force-dependent adhesion mechanism identified here provides a molecular framework to explain how S. aureus pathogens tightly attach to host cells during invasion and shows promise for the design of new therapeutics against intracellular S. aureus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Can Wang
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud, 4-5, bte L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Telmo O Paiva
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud, 4-5, bte L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Chiara Motta
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 3/b, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Pietro Speziale
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 3/b, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Giampiero Pietrocola
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Biochemistry Unit, University of Pavia, Viale Taramelli 3/b, 27100 Pavia, Italy
| | - Yves F Dufrêne
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Croix du Sud, 4-5, bte L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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5
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Collagen-like Motifs of SasG: A Novel Fold for Protein Mechanical Strength. J Mol Biol 2023; 435:167980. [PMID: 36708761 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2023.167980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The Staphylococcus aureus surface protein G (SasG) is associated with host colonisation and biofilm formation. As colonisation occurs at the liquid-substrate interface bacteria are subject to a myriad of external forces and, presumably as a consequence, SasG displays extreme mechanical strength. This mechanical phenotype arises from the B-domain; a repetitive region composed of alternating E and G5 subdomains. These subdomains have an unusual structure comprising collagen-like regions capped by triple-stranded β-sheets. To identify the determinants of SasG mechanical strength, we characterised the mechanical phenotype and thermodynamic stability of 18 single substitution variants of a pseudo-wildtype protein. Visualising the mechanically-induced transition state at a residue-level by ϕ-value analysis reveals that the main force-bearing regions are the N- and C-terminal 'Mechanical Clamps' and their side-chain interactions. This is tailored by contacts at the pseudo-hydrophobic core interface. We also describe a novel mechanical motif - the collagen-like region and show that glycine to alanine substitutions, analogous to those found in Osteogenesis Imperfecta (brittle bone disease), result in a significantly reduced mechanical strength.
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Characterization of a New Glucose-Tolerant GH1 β-Glycosidase from Aspergillus fumigatus with Transglycosylation Activity. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24054489. [PMID: 36901919 PMCID: PMC10003650 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Concern over environmental impacts has spurred many efforts to replace fossil fuels with biofuels such as ethanol. However, for this to be possible, it is necessary to invest in other production technologies, such as second generation (2G) ethanol, in order to raise the levels of this product and meet the growing demand. Currently, this type of production is not yet economically feasible, due to the high costs of the enzyme cocktails used in saccharification stage of lignocellulosic biomass. In order to optimize these cocktails, the search for enzymes with superior activities has been the goal of several research groups. For this end, we have characterized the new β-glycosidase AfBgl1.3 from A. fumigatus after expression and purification in Pichia pastoris X-33. Structural analysis by circular dichroism revealed that increasing temperature destructured the enzyme; the apparent Tm value was 48.5 °C. The percentages of α-helix (36.3%) and β-sheet (12.4%) secondary structures at 25 °C were predicted. Biochemical characterization suggested that the optimal conditions for AfBgl1.3 were pH 6.0 and temperature of 40 °C. At 30 and 40 °C, the enzyme was stable and retained about 90% and 50% of its activity, respectively, after pre-incubation for 24 h. In addition, the enzyme was highly stable at pH between 5 and 8, retaining over 65% of its activity after pre-incubation for 48 h. AfBgl1.3 co-stimulation with 50-250 mM glucose enhanced its specific activity by 1.4-fold and revealed its high tolerance to glucose (IC50 = 2042 mM). The enzyme was active toward the substrates salicin (495.0 ± 49.0 U mg-1), pNPG (340.5 ± 18.6 U mg-1), cellobiose (89.3 ± 5.1 U mg-1), and lactose (45.1 ± 0.5 U mg-1), so it had broad specificity. The Vmax values were 656.0 ± 17.5, 706.5 ± 23.8, and 132.6 ± 7.1 U mg-1 toward p-nitrophenyl-β-D-glucopyranoside (pNPG), D-(-)-salicin, and cellobiose, respectively. AfBgl1.3 displayed transglycosylation activity, forming cellotriose from cellobiose. The addition of AfBgl1.3 as a supplement at 0.9 FPU/g of cocktail Celluclast® 1.5L increased carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) conversion to reducing sugars (g L-1) by about 26% after 12 h. Moreover, AfBgl1.3 acted synergistically with other Aspergillus fumigatus cellulases already characterized by our research group-CMC and sugarcane delignified bagasse were degraded, releasing more reducing sugars compared to the control. These results are important in the search for new cellulases and in the optimization of enzyme cocktails for saccharification.
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7
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Li H. Single Molecule Force Spectroscopy Studies on Metalloproteins: Opportunities and Challenges. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2023; 39:1345-1353. [PMID: 36647634 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.2c03332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Metalloproteins play important roles in a wide range of biological processes. Elucidating the mechanisms via which metalloproteins fold and constitute their metal centers is critical to the understanding of the functions and dynamics of metalloproteins. Owing to its superior force and length resolution, single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) has evolved into a powerful tool to probe the unfolding and folding mechanisms of metalloproteins at the single level by forcing metalloproteins to unfold and then refold along a reaction coordinate defined by the applied stretching force. The folding of metalloproteins is complex and involves two interwound processes, the folding of the polypeptide chain and the constitution of the metal center. Experimental studies of the folding of metalloproteins are challenging. SMFS studies have allowed researchers to directly probe the folding and unfolding of metalloproteins at the single-molecule level and the effect of metal centers on the folding-unfolding energy landscape of metalloproteins. New mechanistic insights on the folding and unfolding of some metalloproteins have been obtained, demonstrating the power and unique advantages that SMFS techniques may offer. In this Perspective, using calcium-binding proteins and small iron-sulfur proteins as examples, I provide a concise overview of the information and insights that SMFS studies have provided to understand the folding and unfolding of metalloproteins. I also discuss the opportunities and challenges that are present in this fast-progressing area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongbin Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 1Z1, Canada
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8
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Apostolidou D, Zhang P, Yang W, Marszalek PE. Mechanical Unfolding and Refolding of NanoLuc via Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy and Computer Simulations. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:5164-5178. [PMID: 36350253 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c00997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
A highly bioluminescent protein, NanoLuc (Nluc), has seen numerous applications in biological assays since its creation. We recently engineered a NanoLuc polyprotein that showed high bioluminescence but displayed a strong misfolding propensity after mechanical unfolding. Here, we present our single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) studies by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and steered molecular dynamics (SMD) simulations on two new hybrid protein constructs comprised of Nluc and I91 titin domains, I91-I91-Nluc-I91-I91-I91-I91 (I912-Nluc-I914) and I91-Nluc-I91-Nluc-I91-Nluc-I91, to characterize the unfolding behavior of Nluc in detail and to further investigate its misfolding properties that we observed earlier for the I912-Nluc3-I912 construct. Our SMFS results confirm that Nluc's unfolding proceeds similarly in all constructs; however, Nluc's refolding differs in these constructs, and its misfolding is minimized when Nluc is monomeric or separated by I91 domains. Our simulations on monomeric Nluc, Nluc dyads, and Nluc triads pinpointed the origin of its mechanical stability and captured interesting unfolding intermediates, which we also observed experimentally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitra Apostolidou
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina27708, United States
| | - Pan Zhang
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina27708, United States
| | - Weitao Yang
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina27708, United States
| | - Piotr E Marszalek
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina27708, United States
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Lei H, Zhang J, Li Y, Wang X, Qin M, Wang W, Cao Y. Histidine-Specific Bioconjugation for Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy. ACS NANO 2022; 16:15440-15449. [PMID: 35980082 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.2c07298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Atomic force microscopy (AFM) based single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) is a powerful tool to study the mechanical properties of proteins. In these experiments, site-specific immobilization of proteins is critical, as the tether determines the direction and amplitude of forces applied to the protein of interest. However, existing methods are mainly based on thiol chemistry or specific protein tags, which cannot meet the need of many challenging experiments. Here, we developed a histidine-specific phosphorylation strategy to covalently anchor proteins to an AFM cantilever tip or the substrate via their histidine tag or surface-exposed histidine residues. The formed covalent linkage was mechanically stable with rupture forces of over 1.3 nN. This protein immobilization method considerably improved the pickup rate and data quality of SMFS experiments. We further demonstrated the use of this method to explore the pulling-direction-dependent mechanical stability of green fluorescent protein and the unfolding of the membrane protein archaerhodopsin-3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Lei
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University 163 Xianlin Road, Nanjing 210023, People's Republic of China
| | - Junsheng Zhang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325001, People's Republic of China
| | - Ying Li
- Institute of Advanced Materials and Flexible Electronics (IAMFE), School of Chemistry and Materials Science, Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology 219 Ningliu Road, Nanjing, 210044, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Wang
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325001, People's Republic of China
| | - Meng Qin
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China
| | - Yi Cao
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University 22 Hankou Road, Nanjing 210093, People's Republic of China
- Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), Nanjing University 163 Xianlin Road, Nanjing 210023, People's Republic of China
- Oujiang Laboratory (Zhejiang Lab for Regenerative Medicine, Vision and Brain Health), Wenzhou Institute, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wenzhou 325001, People's Republic of China
- Jinan Microecological Biomedicine Shandong Laboratory, Jinan 250021, People's Republic of China
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10
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Ma R, Hu X, Zhang X, Wang W, Sun J, Su Z, Zhu C. Strategies to prevent, curb and eliminate biofilm formation based on the characteristics of various periods in one biofilm life cycle. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:1003033. [PMID: 36211965 PMCID: PMC9534288 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1003033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biofilms are colonies of bacteria embedded inside a complicated self-generating intercellular. The formation and scatter of a biofilm is an extremely complex and progressive process in constant cycles. Once formed, it can protect the inside bacteria to exist and reproduce under hostile conditions by establishing tolerance and resistance to antibiotics as well as immunological responses. In this article, we reviewed a series of innovative studies focused on inhibiting the development of biofilm and summarized a range of corresponding therapeutic methods for biological evolving stages of biofilm. Traditionally, there are four stages in the biofilm formation, while we systematize the therapeutic strategies into three main periods precisely:(i) period of preventing biofilm formation: interfering the colony effect, mass transport, chemical bonds and signaling pathway of plankton in the initial adhesion stage; (ii) period of curbing biofilm formation:targeting several pivotal molecules, for instance, polysaccharides, proteins, and extracellular DNA (eDNA) via polysaccharide hydrolases, proteases, and DNases respectively in the second stage before developing into irreversible biofilm; (iii) period of eliminating biofilm formation: applying novel multifunctional composite drugs or nanoparticle materials cooperated with ultrasonic (US), photodynamic, photothermal and even immune therapy, such as adaptive immune activated by stimulated dendritic cells (DCs), neutrophils and even immunological memory aroused by plasmocytes. The multitargeted or combinational therapies aim to prevent it from developing to the stage of maturation and dispersion and eliminate biofilms and planktonic bacteria simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Zheng Su
- *Correspondence: Chen Zhu, ; Zheng Su,
| | - Chen Zhu
- *Correspondence: Chen Zhu, ; Zheng Su,
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11
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Nagy ÁG, Székács I, Bonyár A, Horvath R. Cell-substratum and cell-cell adhesion forces and single-cell mechanical properties in mono- and multilayer assemblies from robotic fluidic force microscopy. Eur J Cell Biol 2022; 101:151273. [PMID: 36088812 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejcb.2022.151273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The epithelium covers, protects, and actively regulates various formations and cavities of the human body. During embryonic development the assembly of the epithelium is crucial to the organoid formation, and the invasion of the epithelium is an essential step in cancer metastasis. Live cell mechanical properties and associated forces presumably play an important role in these biological processes. However, the direct measurement of cellular forces in a precise and high-throughput manner is still challenging. We studied the cellular adhesion maturation of epithelial Vero monolayers by measuring single-cell force-spectra with high-throughput fluidic force microscopy (robotic FluidFM). Vero cells were grown on gelatin-covered plates in different seeding concentrations, and cell detachment forces were recorded from the single-cell state, through clustered island formation, to their complete assembly into a sparse and then into a tight monolayer. A methodology was proposed to separate cell-substratum and cell-cell adhesion force and energy (work of adhesion) contributions based on the recorded force-distance curves. For comparison, cancerous HeLa cells were also measured in the same settings. During Vero monolayer formation, a significantly strengthening adhesive tendency was found, showing the development of cell-cell contacts. Interestingly, this type of step-by-step maturation was absent in HeLa cells. The attachment of cancerous HeLa cells to the assembled epithelial monolayers was also measured, proposing a new high-throughput method to investigate the biomechanics of cancer cell invasion. We found that HeLa cells adhere significantly stronger to the tight Vero monolayer than cells of the same origin. Moreover, the mechanical characteristics of Vero monolayers upon cancerous HeLa cell influence were recorded and analyzed. All these results provide insight into the qualitative assessment of cell-substratum and cell-cell mechanical contacts in mono- and multilayered assemblies and demonstrate the robustness and speed of the robotic FluidFM technology to reveal biomechanical properties of live cell assemblies with statistical significances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ágoston G Nagy
- Department of Electronics Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary; Nanobiosensorics Laboratory, Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Inna Székács
- Nanobiosensorics Laboratory, Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Bonyár
- Department of Electronics Technology, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Robert Horvath
- Nanobiosensorics Laboratory, Institute of Technical Physics and Materials Science, Centre for Energy Research, Budapest, Hungary.
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12
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Liu H, Liu Z, Yang B, Lopez Morales J, Nash MA. Optimal Sacrificial Domains in Mechanical Polyproteins: S. epidermidis Adhesins Are Tuned for Work Dissipation. JACS AU 2022; 2:1417-1427. [PMID: 35783175 PMCID: PMC9241160 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.2c00121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus epidermidis utilizes a multidomain surface adhesin protein to bind host components and adhere to tissues. While it is known that the interaction between the SdrG receptor and its fibrinopeptide target (FgB) is exceptionally mechanostable (∼2 nN), the influence of downstream B domains (B1 and B2) is unclear. Here, we studied the mechanical relationships between folded B domains and the SdrG receptor bound to FgB. We used protein engineering, single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) with an atomic force microscope (AFM), and Monte Carlo simulations to understand how the mechanical properties of folded sacrificial domains, in general, can be optimally tuned to match the stability of a receptor-ligand complex. Analogous to macroscopic suspension systems, sacrificial shock absorber domains should neither be too weak nor too strong to optimally dissipate mechanical energy. We built artificial molecular shock absorber systems based on the nanobody (VHH) scaffold and studied the competition between domain unfolding and receptor unbinding. We quantitatively determined the optimal stability of shock absorbers that maximizes work dissipation on average for a given receptor and found that natural sacrificial domains from pathogenic S. epidermidis and Clostridium perfringens adhesins exhibit stabilities at or near this optimum within a specific range of loading rates. These findings demonstrate how tuning the stability of sacrificial domains in adhesive polyproteins can be used to maximize mechanical work dissipation and serve as an adhesion strategy by bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haipei Liu
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Department
of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH
Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Zhaowei Liu
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Department
of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH
Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Byeongseon Yang
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Department
of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH
Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Joanan Lopez Morales
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Department
of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH
Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Michael A. Nash
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Basel, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
- Department
of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH
Zurich, 4058 Basel, Switzerland
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13
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Shi S, Wu T, Zheng P. Direct Measurements of the Cobalt-thiolate Bonds Strength in Rubredoxin by Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy. Chembiochem 2022; 23:e202200165. [PMID: 35475313 DOI: 10.1002/cbic.202200165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Cobalt is a trace transition metal. Although it is not abundant on earth, tens of cobalt-containing proteins exist in life. Moreover, the characteristic spectrum of Co(II) ion makes it a powerful probe for the characterization of metal-binding proteins through the formation of cobalt-ligand bonds. Since most of these natural and artificial cobalt-containing proteins are stable, we believe that these cobalt-ligand bonds in the protein system are also mechanically stable. To prove this, we used atomic force microscopy-based single-molecule force spectroscopy (AFM-SMFS) to directly measure the rupture force of Co(II)-thiolate bond in Co-substituted rubredoxin (CoRD). By combining the chemical denature/renature method for building metalloprotein and cysteine coupling-based polyprotein construction strategy, we successfully prepared the polyprotein sample (CoRD) n suitable for single-molecule study. Thus, we quantified the strength of Co(II)-thiolate bonds in rubredoxin with a rupture force of ~140 pN, revealing that the bond is a stable chemical bond. In addition, the Co-S bond is more labile than the Zn-S bond in proteins, similar to the result from the metal-competing titration experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengchao Shi
- Nanjing University, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, CHINA
| | - Tao Wu
- Nanjing University, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, CHINA
| | - Peng Zheng
- Nanjing University, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, 168 Xianlin Ave, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210023, Nanjing, CHINA
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14
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Hang X, He S, Dong Z, Li Y, Huang Z, Zhang Y, Sun H, Lin L, Li H, Wang Y, Liu B, Wu N, Ren T, Fan Y, Lou J, Yang R, Jiang L, Chang L. High-Throughput DNA Tensioner Platform for Interrogating Mechanical Heterogeneity of Single Living Cells. SMALL (WEINHEIM AN DER BERGSTRASSE, GERMANY) 2022; 18:e2106196. [PMID: 35322558 DOI: 10.1002/smll.202106196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Cell mechanical forces play fundamental roles in regulating cellular responses to environmental stimulations. The shortcomings of conventional methods, including force resolution and cellular throughput, make them less accessible to mechanical heterogeneity at the single-cell level. Here, a DNA tensioner platform is introduced with high throughput (>10 000 cells per chip) and pN-level resolution. A microfluidic-based cell array is trapped on "hairpin-structured" DNA tensioners that enable transformation of the mechanical information of living cells into fluorescence signals. By using the platform, one can identify enhanced mechanical forces of drug-resistant cells as compared to their drug-sensitive counterparts, and mechanical differences between metastatic tumor cells in pleural effusion and nonmetastatic histiocytes. Further genetic analysis traces two genes, VEGFA and MINK1, that may play deterministic roles in regulating mechanical heterogeneities. In view of the ubiquity of cells' mechanical forces in the extracellular microenvironment (ECM), this platform shows wide potential to establish links of cellular mechanical heterogeneity to genetic heterogeneity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Hang
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Shiqi He
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Zaizai Dong
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yun Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, and China National Center for Bioinformation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Zheng Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, and China National Center for Bioinformation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Yanruo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Hong Sun
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Long Lin
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Hu Li
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Yang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Bing Liu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research of Ministry of Education, Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Nan Wu
- Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research of Ministry of Education, Department of Thoracic Surgery II, Peking University Cancer Hospital & Institute, No. 52 Fucheng Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100142, China
| | - Tianling Ren
- Beijing National Research Center for Information Science and Technology (BNRist), Institute of Microelectronics, Tsinghua University, No. 30 Shuangqing Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100084, China
| | - Yubo Fan
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Jizhong Lou
- Key Laboratory of RNA Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 15 Datun Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Ruiguo Yang
- Nebraska Center for Integrated Biomolecular Communication, Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Lan Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Genome Sciences and Information, Beijing Institute of Genomics, and China National Center for Bioinformation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 1 Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of Future Technology, and Sino-Danish College, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Lingqian Chang
- Key Laboratory of Biomechanics and Mechanobiology, Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, No. 37 Xueyuan Road, Haidian District, Beijing, 100083, China
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Research and Engineering Center of Biomedical Materials, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, China
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15
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Ge X, Zhang W, Putnis CV, Wang L. Molecular mechanisms for the humic acid-enhanced formation of the ordered secondary structure of a conserved catalytic domain in phytase. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:4493-4503. [PMID: 35113120 DOI: 10.1039/d2cp00054g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Changes in the secondary structure of phytase, particularly the conserved active catalytic domain (ACD, SRHGVRAPHD) are extremely important for the varied catalytic activity during hydrolyzing phytate in the presence of humic acid (HA). However, little is known about the molecular-scale mechanisms of how HA influences the secondary structure of ACD found in phytase. First, in situ surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) results show the secondary structure transformation of ACD from the unordered random coil to the ordered β-sheet structure after treatment with HA. Then, we use an atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based single-molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) technique that can in situ directly probe the single-molecule interaction of ACD with HA and underlying changes in ACD secondary structure in the approach-retraction cycles in real time. Based on the SMFS results, we further detect the HA-enhanced formation of H-bonding between amide groups in the ACD backbone after noncovalently interacting with HA in the absence of phytate. Following the addition of phytate, the calculated contour length (Lc) and the free energies (ΔGb) of functional groups within ACD(-1/2) binding to mica/HA collectively demonstrate the formation of the organized intermediate structural state of ACD following its covalent binding to phytate. These spectroscopic and single-molecule determinations provide the molecular-scale understanding regarding the detailed mechanisms of HA-enhancement of the ordered β-sheet secondary structure of ACD through chemical functionalities in ACD noncovalently interacting with HA. Therefore, we suggest that similar studies of the interactions of other soil enzymes and plant nutrients may reveal predominant roles of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in controlling elemental cycling and fate for sustainable agriculture development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinfei Ge
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Wenjun Zhang
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
| | - Christine V Putnis
- Institut für Mineralogie, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany.,School of Molecular and Life Science, Curtin University, Perth 6845, Australia
| | - Lijun Wang
- College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
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16
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Mycobacterial Adhesion: From Hydrophobic to Receptor-Ligand Interactions. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10020454. [PMID: 35208908 PMCID: PMC8875947 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10020454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Adhesion is crucial for the infective lifestyles of bacterial pathogens. Adhesion to non-living surfaces, other microbial cells, and components of the biofilm extracellular matrix are crucial for biofilm formation and integrity, plus adherence to host factors constitutes a first step leading to an infection. Adhesion is, therefore, at the core of pathogens’ ability to contaminate, transmit, establish residency within a host, and cause an infection. Several mycobacterial species cause diseases in humans and animals with diverse clinical manifestations. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which enters through the respiratory tract, first adheres to alveolar macrophages and epithelial cells leading up to transmigration across the alveolar epithelium and containment within granulomas. Later, when dissemination occurs, the bacilli need to adhere to extracellular matrix components to infect extrapulmonary sites. Mycobacteria causing zoonotic infections and emerging nontuberculous mycobacterial pathogens follow divergent routes of infection that probably require adapted adhesion mechanisms. New evidence also points to the occurrence of mycobacterial biofilms during infection, emphasizing a need to better understand the adhesive factors required for their formation. Herein, we review the literature on tuberculous and nontuberculous mycobacterial adhesion to living and non-living surfaces, to themselves, to host cells, and to components of the extracellular matrix.
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17
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Li J, Li H. New insights into the folding–unfolding mechanism and conformations of cytochrome C. Chem Sci 2022; 13:7498-7508. [PMID: 35872809 PMCID: PMC9241957 DOI: 10.1039/d2sc01126c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Optical trapping experiments offer new insights into the folding and unfolding of cytochrome C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
| | - Hongbin Li
- Department of Chemistry, University of British Columbia, 2036 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1, Canada
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18
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Parreira P, Martins MCL. The biophysics of bacterial infections: Adhesion events in the light of force spectroscopy. Cell Surf 2021; 7:100048. [PMID: 33665520 PMCID: PMC7898176 DOI: 10.1016/j.tcsw.2021.100048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2018] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/03/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Bacterial infections are the most eminent public health challenge of the 21st century. The primary step leading to infection is bacterial adhesion to the surface of host cells or medical devices, which is mediated by a multitude of molecular interactions. At the interface of life sciences and physics, last years advances in atomic force microscopy (AFM)-based force spectroscopy techniques have made possible to measure the forces driving bacteria-cell and bacteria-materials interactions on a single molecule/cell basis (single molecule/cell force spectroscopy). Among the bacteria-(bio)materials surface interactions, the life-threatening infections associated to medical devices involving Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli are the most eminent. On the other hand, Pseudomonas aeruginosa binding to the pulmonary and urinary tract or the Helicobacter pylori binding to the gastric mucosa, are classical examples of bacteria-host cell interactions that end in serious infections. As we approach the end of the antibiotic era, acquisition of a deeper knowledge of the fundamental forces involved in bacteria - host cells/(bio)materials surface adhesion is crucial for the identification of new ligand-binding events and its assessment as novel targets for alternative anti-infective therapies. This article aims to highlight the potential of AFM-based force spectroscopy for new targeted therapies development against bacterial infections in which adhesion plays a pivotal role and does not aim to be an extensive overview on the AFM technical capabilities and theory of single molecule force spectroscopy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula Parreira
- INEB – Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
| | - M. Cristina L. Martins
- INEB – Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- i3S – Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
- ICBAS – Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas Abel Salazar, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
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19
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Stamboroski S, Boateng K, Lierath J, Kowalik T, Thiel K, Köppen S, Noeske PLM, Brüggemann D. Influence of Divalent Metal Ions on the Precipitation of the Plasma Protein Fibrinogen. Biomacromolecules 2021; 22:4642-4658. [PMID: 34670087 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.1c00930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Fibrinogen nanofibers are very attractive biomaterials to mimic the native blood clot architecture. Previously, we reported the self-assembly of fibrinogen nanofibers in the presence of monovalent salts and have now studied how divalent salts influence fibrinogen precipitation. Although the secondary fibrinogen structure was significantly altered with divalent metal ions, morphological analysis revealed exclusively smooth fibrinogen precipitates. In situ monitoring of the surface roughness facilitated predicting the tendency of various salts to form fibrinogen fibers or smooth films. Analysis of the chemical composition revealed that divalent salts were removed from smooth fibrinogen films upon rinsing while monovalent Na+ species were still present in fibrinogen fibers. Therefore, we assume that the decisive factor controlling the morphology of fibrinogen precipitates is direct ion-protein contact, which requires disruption of the ion-surrounding hydration shells. We conclude that in fibrinogen aggregates, this mechanism is effective only for monovalent ions, whereas divalent ions are limited to indirect fibrinogen adsorption.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephani Stamboroski
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, Wiener Strasse 12, 28359 Bremen, Germany.,Institute for Biophysics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Kwasi Boateng
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, Wiener Strasse 12, 28359 Bremen, Germany.,Institute for Biophysics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Jana Lierath
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, Wiener Strasse 12, 28359 Bremen, Germany.,Institute for Biophysics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Thomas Kowalik
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, Wiener Strasse 12, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Karsten Thiel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, Wiener Strasse 12, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Susan Köppen
- Hybrid Materials Interfaces Group, Faculty of Production Engineering and Bremen Center for Computational Materials Science, University of Bremen, Am Fallturm 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany.,MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Paul-Ludwig Michael Noeske
- Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, Wiener Strasse 12, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Dorothea Brüggemann
- Institute for Biophysics, University of Bremen, Otto-Hahn-Allee 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany.,MAPEX Center for Materials and Processes, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen, Germany
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20
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Wang Z, Nie J, Shi S, Li G, Zheng P. Transforming de novo protein α 3D into a mechanically stable protein by zinc binding. Chem Commun (Camb) 2021; 57:11489-11492. [PMID: 34651619 DOI: 10.1039/d1cc04908a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
α3D is a de novo designed three-helix bundle protein. Like most naturally occurring helical proteins, it is mechanically labile with an unfolding force of <15 pN, revealed by atomic force microscopy-based single-molecule force spectroscopy (AFM-SMFS). This protein has been further designed with a tri-cysteine metal-binding site, named α3DIV, which can bind heavy transition metals. Here, we demonstrate that incorporating such a metal-binding site can transform this mechanically labile protein into a stable one. We show that zinc binds to the tri-cysteine site and increases the unfolding force to ∼160 pN. This force is one order of magnitude higher than that of the apo-protein (<15 pN). Moreover, the unfolding mechanism of Zn-α3DIV indicates the correct zinc binding with the tri-cysteine site, forming three mechanostable Zn-thiolate bonds. Thus, α3DIV could be a potential α-helical structure-based building block for synthesizing biomaterials with tunable mechanical properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Centre (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Jingyuan Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Centre (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Shengcao Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Centre (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Guoqiang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Centre (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Peng Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Centre (ChemBIC), Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
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21
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Nie J, Tian F, Zheng B, Wang Z, Zheng P. Exploration of Metal-Ligand Coordination Bonds in Proteins by Single-molecule Force Spectroscopy. CHEM LETT 2021. [DOI: 10.1246/cl.210307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jingyuan Nie
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Fang Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Bin Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Ziyi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
| | - Peng Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry, Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center (ChemBIC), School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210023, P. R. China
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22
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Lei H, Ma Q, Li W, Wen J, Ma H, Qin M, Wang W, Cao Y. An ester bond underlies the mechanical strength of a pathogen surface protein. Nat Commun 2021; 12:5082. [PMID: 34426584 PMCID: PMC8382745 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-25425-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Gram-positive bacteria can resist large mechanical perturbations during their invasion and colonization by secreting various surface proteins with intramolecular isopeptide or ester bonds. Compared to isopeptide bonds, ester bonds are prone to hydrolysis. It remains elusive whether ester bonds can completely block mechanical extension similarly to isopeptide bonds, or whether ester bonds dissipate mechanical energy by bond rupture. Here, we show that an ester-bond containing stalk domain of Cpe0147 is inextensible even at forces > 2 nN. The ester bond locks the structure to a partially unfolded conformation, in which the ester bond remains largely water inaccessible. This allows the ester bond to withstand considerable mechanical forces and in turn prevent complete protein unfolding. However, the protecting effect might be reduced at non-physiological basic pHs or low calcium concentrations due to destabilizing the protein structures. Inspired by this design principle, we engineer a disulfide mutant resistant to mechanical unfolding under reducing conditions. Bacterial surface adhesion proteins are characterized by unusual mechanical properties. Here, the authors use atomic force microscopy-based technique to study a surface-anchoring protein Cpe0147 from Clostridium perfringens and show that an ester bond can withstand considerable mechanical forces and prevent complete protein unfolding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Lei
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Quan Ma
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wenfei Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Wen
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Haibo Ma
- Key Laboratory of Mesoscopic Chemistry of MOE, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Institute of Theoretical and Computational Chemistry, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Meng Qin
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yi Cao
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructure, Department of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China. .,Chemistry and Biomedicine Innovation Center, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
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23
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Alegre-Cebollada J. Protein nanomechanics in biological context. Biophys Rev 2021; 13:435-454. [PMID: 34466164 PMCID: PMC8355295 DOI: 10.1007/s12551-021-00822-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
How proteins respond to pulling forces, or protein nanomechanics, is a key contributor to the form and function of biological systems. Indeed, the conventional view that proteins are able to diffuse in solution does not apply to the many polypeptides that are anchored to rigid supramolecular structures. These tethered proteins typically have important mechanical roles that enable cells to generate, sense, and transduce mechanical forces. To fully comprehend the interplay between mechanical forces and biology, we must understand how protein nanomechanics emerge in living matter. This endeavor is definitely challenging and only recently has it started to appear tractable. Here, I introduce the main in vitro single-molecule biophysics methods that have been instrumental to investigate protein nanomechanics over the last 2 decades. Then, I present the contemporary view on how mechanical force shapes the free energy of tethered proteins, as well as the effect of biological factors such as post-translational modifications and mutations. To illustrate the contribution of protein nanomechanics to biological function, I review current knowledge on the mechanobiology of selected muscle and cell adhesion proteins including titin, talin, and bacterial pilins. Finally, I discuss emerging methods to modulate protein nanomechanics in living matter, for instance by inducing specific mechanical loss-of-function (mLOF). By interrogating biological systems in a causative manner, these new tools can contribute to further place protein nanomechanics in a biological context.
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24
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Guo Z, Hong H, Sun H, Zhang X, Wu CX, Li B, Cao Y, Chen H. SpyTag/SpyCatcher tether as a fingerprint and force marker in single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments. NANOSCALE 2021; 13:11262-11269. [PMID: 34155491 DOI: 10.1039/d1nr01907d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Single molecule force spectroscopy has emerged as a powerful tool to study protein folding dynamics, ligand-receptor interactions, and various mechanobiological processes. High force precision does not necessarily lead to high force accuracy, as the uncertainties in calibration can bring serious systematic errors. In the case of magnetic tweezers, accurate determination of the applied forces for short biomolecular tethers, by measuring thermal fluctuations of inhomogeneous magnetic beads, remains difficult. Here we address this challenge by showing that the SpyTag/SpyCatcher complex is not only a convenient and genetically encodable covalent linker but also an ideal molecular fingerprint and force marker in single molecule force spectroscopy experiments. By stretching the N-termini of both SpyCatcher and SpyTag, the complex unfolds locally up to the isopeptide bond position in an unzipping geometry, resulting in equilibrium transitions at ∼30 pN with step sizes of ∼3.4 nm. This mechanical feature can be used as the fingerprint to identify single-molecular events. Moreover, the transitions occur with a fast exchange rate and in a narrow force range. Therefore, the real applied forces can be determined accurately based on the force-dependent transitions. The equilibrium forces are insensitive to buffer conditions and temperature, making the calibration applicable to many complicated experimental systems. We provide an example to calibrate protein unfolding forces using this force marker and expect that this method can greatly simplify force calibration in single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments and improve the force accuracy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zilong Guo
- Research Institute for Biomimetics and Soft Matter, Fujian Provincial Key Lab for Soft Functional Materials Research, Department of Physics, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361005, China.
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25
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Li Q, Apostolidou D, Marszalek PE. Reconstruction of mechanical unfolding and refolding pathways of proteins with atomic force spectroscopy and computer simulations. Methods 2021; 197:39-53. [PMID: 34020035 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymeth.2021.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2021] [Revised: 05/14/2021] [Accepted: 05/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Most proteins in proteomes are large, typically consist of more than one domain and are structurally complex. This often makes studying their mechanical unfolding pathways challenging. Proteins composed of tandem repeat domains are a subgroup of multi-domain proteins that, when stretched, display a saw-tooth pattern in their mechanical unfolding force extension profiles due to their repetitive structure. However, the assignment of force peaks to specific repeats undergoing mechanical unraveling is complicated because all repeats are similar and they interact with their neighbors and form a contiguous tertiary structure. Here, we describe in detail a combination of experimental and computational single-molecule force spectroscopy methods that proved useful for examining the mechanical unfolding and refolding pathways of ankyrin repeat proteins. Specifically, we explain and delineate the use of atomic force microscope-based single molecule force spectroscopy (SMFS) to record the mechanical unfolding behavior of ankyrin repeat proteins and capture their unusually strong refolding propensity that is responsible for generating impressive refolding force peaks. We also describe Coarse Grain Steered Molecular Dynamic (CG-SMD) simulations which complement the experimental observations and provide insights in understanding the unfolding and refolding of these proteins. In addition, we advocate the use of novel coiled-coils-based mechanical polypeptide probes which we developed to demonstrate the vectorial character of folding and refolding of these repeat proteins. The combination of AFM-based SMFS on native and CC-equipped proteins with CG-SMD simulations is powerful not only for ankyrin repeat polypeptides, but also for other repeat proteins and more generally to various multidomain, non-repetitive proteins with complex topologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qing Li
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, 27708 Durham, NC, United States
| | - Dimitra Apostolidou
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, 27708 Durham, NC, United States
| | - Piotr E Marszalek
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, 27708 Durham, NC, United States.
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26
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Danielsen SPO, Beech HK, Wang S, El-Zaatari BM, Wang X, Sapir L, Ouchi T, Wang Z, Johnson PN, Hu Y, Lundberg DJ, Stoychev G, Craig SL, Johnson JA, Kalow JA, Olsen BD, Rubinstein M. Molecular Characterization of Polymer Networks. Chem Rev 2021; 121:5042-5092. [PMID: 33792299 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c01304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Polymer networks are complex systems consisting of molecular components. Whereas the properties of the individual components are typically well understood by most chemists, translating that chemical insight into polymer networks themselves is limited by the statistical and poorly defined nature of network structures. As a result, it is challenging, if not currently impossible, to extrapolate from the molecular behavior of components to the full range of performance and properties of the entire polymer network. Polymer networks therefore present an unrealized, important, and interdisciplinary opportunity to exert molecular-level, chemical control on material macroscopic properties. A barrier to sophisticated molecular approaches to polymer networks is that the techniques for characterizing the molecular structure of networks are often unfamiliar to many scientists. Here, we present a critical overview of the current characterization techniques available to understand the relation between the molecular properties and the resulting performance and behavior of polymer networks, in the absence of added fillers. We highlight the methods available to characterize the chemistry and molecular-level properties of individual polymer strands and junctions, the gelation process by which strands form networks, the structure of the resulting network, and the dynamics and mechanics of the final material. The purpose is not to serve as a detailed manual for conducting these measurements but rather to unify the underlying principles, point out remaining challenges, and provide a concise overview by which chemists can plan characterization strategies that suit their research objectives. Because polymer networks cannot often be sufficiently characterized with a single method, strategic combinations of multiple techniques are typically required for their molecular characterization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott P O Danielsen
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Haley K Beech
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Shu Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Bassil M El-Zaatari
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Xiaodi Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | | | | | - Zi Wang
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Patricia N Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Yixin Hu
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - David J Lundberg
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Georgi Stoychev
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States
| | - Stephen L Craig
- Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Jeremiah A Johnson
- Department of Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Julia A Kalow
- Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois 60208, United States
| | - Bradley D Olsen
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, United States
| | - Michael Rubinstein
- Marsico Lung Institute, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599, United States.,Department of Chemistry, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.,Departments of Biomedical Engineering and Physics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States.,World Primer Institute for Chemical Reaction Design and Discovery (WPI-ICReDD), Hokkaido University, Kita 21 Nishi 10, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0021, Japan
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27
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Dufrêne YF, Viljoen A, Mignolet J, Mathelié-Guinlet M. AFM in cellular and molecular microbiology. Cell Microbiol 2021; 23:e13324. [PMID: 33710716 DOI: 10.1111/cmi.13324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The unique capabilities of the atomic force microscope (AFM), including super-resolution imaging, piconewton force-sensitivity, nanomanipulation and ability to work under physiological conditions, have offered exciting avenues for cellular and molecular biology research. AFM imaging has helped unravel the fine architectures of microbial cell envelopes at the nanoscale, and how these are altered by antimicrobial treatment. Nanomechanical measurements have shed new light on the elasticity, tensile strength and turgor pressure of single cells. Single-molecule and single-cell force spectroscopy experiments have revealed the forces and dynamics of receptor-ligand interactions, the nanoscale distribution of receptors on the cell surface and the elasticity and adhesiveness of bacterial pili. Importantly, recent force spectroscopy studies have demonstrated that extremely stable bonds are formed between bacterial adhesins and their cognate ligands, originating from a catch bond behaviour allowing the pathogen to reinforce adhesion under shear or tensile stress. Here, we survey how the versatility of AFM has enabled addressing crucial questions in microbiology, with emphasis on bacterial pathogens. TAKE AWAYS: AFM topographic imaging unravels the ultrastructure of bacterial envelopes. Nanomechanical mapping shows what makes cell envelopes stiff and resistant to drugs. Force spectroscopy characterises the molecular forces in pathogen adhesion. Stretching pili reveals a wealth of mechanical and adhesive responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yves F Dufrêne
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Albertus Viljoen
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Johann Mignolet
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Marion Mathelié-Guinlet
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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28
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Muthu Kumar T, Ramanathan K. Probiotic Polysaccharides as Toll-Like Receptor 4 Modulators—An In Silico Strategy. ADVANCES IN PROBIOTICS 2021:121-133. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-822909-5.00008-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
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29
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Ding Y, Apostolidou D, Marszalek P. Mechanical Stability of a Small, Highly-Luminescent Engineered Protein NanoLuc. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 22:E55. [PMID: 33374567 PMCID: PMC7801952 DOI: 10.3390/ijms22010055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
NanoLuc is a bioluminescent protein recently engineered for applications in molecular imaging and cellular reporter assays. Compared to other bioluminescent proteins used for these applications, like Firefly Luciferase and Renilla Luciferase, it is ~150 times brighter, more thermally stable, and smaller. Yet, no information is known with regards to its mechanical properties, which could introduce a new set of applications for this unique protein, such as a novel biomaterial or as a substrate for protein activity/refolding assays. Here, we generated a synthetic NanoLuc derivative protein that consists of three connected NanoLuc proteins flanked by two human titin I91 domains on each side and present our mechanical studies at the single molecule level by performing Single Molecule Force Spectroscopy (SMFS) measurements. Our results show each NanoLuc repeat in the derivative behaves as a single domain protein, with a single unfolding event occurring on average when approximately 72 pN is applied to the protein. Additionally, we performed cyclic measurements, where the forces applied to a single protein were cyclically raised then lowered to allow the protein the opportunity to refold: we observed the protein was able to refold to its correct structure after mechanical denaturation only 16.9% of the time, while another 26.9% of the time there was evidence of protein misfolding to a potentially non-functional conformation. These results show that NanoLuc is a mechanically moderately weak protein that is unable to robustly refold itself correctly when stretch-denatured, which makes it an attractive model for future protein folding and misfolding studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Ding
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; (Y.D.); (D.A.)
- Department of Engineering Mechanics, SVL, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Dimitra Apostolidou
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; (Y.D.); (D.A.)
| | - Piotr Marszalek
- Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA; (Y.D.); (D.A.)
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30
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Müller DJ, Dumitru AC, Lo Giudice C, Gaub HE, Hinterdorfer P, Hummer G, De Yoreo JJ, Dufrêne YF, Alsteens D. Atomic Force Microscopy-Based Force Spectroscopy and Multiparametric Imaging of Biomolecular and Cellular Systems. Chem Rev 2020; 121:11701-11725. [PMID: 33166471 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.0c00617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
During the last three decades, a series of key technological improvements turned atomic force microscopy (AFM) into a nanoscopic laboratory to directly observe and chemically characterize molecular and cell biological systems under physiological conditions. Here, we review key technological improvements that have established AFM as an analytical tool to observe and quantify native biological systems from the micro- to the nanoscale. Native biological systems include living tissues, cells, and cellular components such as single or complexed proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, or sugars. We showcase the procedures to customize nanoscopic chemical laboratories by functionalizing AFM tips and outline the advantages and limitations in applying different AFM modes to chemically image, sense, and manipulate biosystems at (sub)nanometer spatial and millisecond temporal resolution. We further discuss theoretical approaches to extract the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of specific biomolecular interactions detected by AFM for single bonds and extend the discussion to multiple bonds. Finally, we highlight the potential of combining AFM with optical microscopy and spectroscopy to address the full complexity of biological systems and to tackle fundamental challenges in life sciences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Müller
- Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule (ETH) Zürich, Mattenstrasse 28, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Andra C Dumitru
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Croix du Sud, 4-5, bte L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Cristina Lo Giudice
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Croix du Sud, 4-5, bte L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Hermann E Gaub
- Applied Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich, Amalienstrasse 54, 80799 München, Germany
| | - Peter Hinterdorfer
- Institute of Biophysics, Johannes Kepler University of Linz, Gruberstrasse 40, 4020 Linz, Austria
| | - Gerhard Hummer
- Department of Theoretical Biophysics, Max Planck Institute of Biophysics and Department of Physics, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - James J De Yoreo
- Physical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, Washington 99352, United States.,Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, United States
| | - Yves F Dufrêne
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Croix du Sud, 4-5, bte L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - David Alsteens
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Croix du Sud, 4-5, bte L7.07.07, B-1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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31
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Dhakal S, Macreadie I. Protein Homeostasis Networks and the Use of Yeast to Guide Interventions in Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:E8014. [PMID: 33126501 PMCID: PMC7662794 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21218014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a progressive multifactorial age-related neurodegenerative disorder that causes the majority of deaths due to dementia in the elderly. Although various risk factors have been found to be associated with AD progression, the cause of the disease is still unresolved. The loss of proteostasis is one of the major causes of AD: it is evident by aggregation of misfolded proteins, lipid homeostasis disruption, accumulation of autophagic vesicles, and oxidative damage during the disease progression. Different models have been developed to study AD, one of which is a yeast model. Yeasts are simple unicellular eukaryotic cells that have provided great insights into human cell biology. Various yeast models, including unmodified and genetically modified yeasts, have been established for studying AD and have provided significant amount of information on AD pathology and potential interventions. The conservation of various human biological processes, including signal transduction, energy metabolism, protein homeostasis, stress responses, oxidative phosphorylation, vesicle trafficking, apoptosis, endocytosis, and ageing, renders yeast a fascinating, powerful model for AD. In addition, the easy manipulation of the yeast genome and availability of methods to evaluate yeast cells rapidly in high throughput technological platforms strengthen the rationale of using yeast as a model. This review focuses on the description of the proteostasis network in yeast and its comparison with the human proteostasis network. It further elaborates on the AD-associated proteostasis failure and applications of the yeast proteostasis network to understand AD pathology and its potential to guide interventions against AD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ian Macreadie
- School of Science, RMIT University, Bundoora, Victoria 3083, Australia;
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32
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Szajnar K, Znamirowska A, Kuźniar P. Sensory and textural properties of fermented milk with viability of Lactobacillus rhamnosus and Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis Bb-12 and increased calcium concentration. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF FOOD PROPERTIES 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/10942912.2020.1748050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Szajnar
- Department of Dairy Technology, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Agata Znamirowska
- Department of Dairy Technology, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland
| | - Piotr Kuźniar
- Department of Food and Agriculture Production Engineering, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland
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33
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Extreme mechanical stability in protein complexes. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2020; 60:124-130. [DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2019.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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34
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Viela F, Mathelié-Guinlet M, Viljoen A, Dufrêne YF. What makes bacterial pathogens so sticky? Mol Microbiol 2020; 113:683-690. [PMID: 31916325 DOI: 10.1111/mmi.14448] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2019] [Revised: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Pathogenic bacteria use a variety of cell surface adhesins to promote binding to host tissues and protein-coated biomaterials, as well as cell-cell aggregation. These cellular interactions represent the first essential step that leads to host colonization and infection. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) has greatly contributed to increase our understanding of the specific interactions at play during microbial adhesion, down to the single-molecule level. A key asset of AFM is that adhesive interactions are studied under mechanical force, which is highly relevant as surface-attached pathogens are often exposed to physical stresses in the human body. These studies have identified sophisticated binding mechanisms in adhesins, which represent promising new targets for antiadhesion therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe Viela
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Marion Mathelié-Guinlet
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Albertus Viljoen
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Yves F Dufrêne
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, UCLouvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.,Walloon Excellence in Life sciences and Biotechnology (WELBIO), Wavre, Belgium
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35
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Mathelié-Guinlet M, Viela F, Viljoen A, Dehullu J, Dufrêne YF. Single-molecule atomic force microscopy studies of microbial pathogens. CURRENT OPINION IN BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobme.2019.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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36
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Bernardi RC, Durner E, Schoeler C, Malinowska KH, Carvalho BG, Bayer EA, Luthey-Schulten Z, Gaub HE, Nash MA. Mechanisms of Nanonewton Mechanostability in a Protein Complex Revealed by Molecular Dynamics Simulations and Single-Molecule Force Spectroscopy. J Am Chem Soc 2019; 141:14752-14763. [PMID: 31464132 PMCID: PMC6939381 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.9b06776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
![]()
Can molecular dynamics
simulations predict the mechanical behavior of protein complexes?
Can simulations decipher the role of protein domains of unknown function
in large macromolecular complexes? Here, we employ a wide-sampling
computational approach to demonstrate that molecular dynamics simulations,
when carefully performed and combined with single-molecule atomic
force spectroscopy experiments, can predict and explain the behavior
of highly mechanostable protein complexes. As a test case, we studied
a previously unreported homologue from Ruminococcus flavefaciens called X-module-Dockerin (XDoc) bound to its partner Cohesin (Coh).
By performing dozens of short simulation replicas near the rupture
event, and analyzing dynamic network fluctuations, we were able to
generate large simulation statistics and directly compare them with
experiments to uncover the mechanisms involved in mechanical stabilization.
Our single-molecule force spectroscopy experiments show that the XDoc-Coh
homologue complex withstands forces up to 1 nN at loading rates of
105 pN/s. Our simulation results reveal that this remarkable
mechanical stability is achieved by a protein architecture that directs
molecular deformation along paths that run perpendicular to the pulling
axis. The X-module was found to play a crucial role in shielding the
adjacent protein complex from mechanical rupture. These mechanisms
of protein mechanical stabilization have potential applications in
biotechnology for the development of systems exhibiting shear enhanced
adhesion or tunable mechanics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafael C Bernardi
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Ellis Durner
- Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Physik and Center for Nanoscience , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität , 80799 Munich , Germany
| | - Constantin Schoeler
- Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Physik and Center for Nanoscience , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität , 80799 Munich , Germany
| | - Klara H Malinowska
- Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Physik and Center for Nanoscience , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität , 80799 Munich , Germany
| | - Bruna G Carvalho
- School of Chemical Engineering , University of Campinas , 13083-852 Campinas , Brazil
| | - Edward A Bayer
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences , Weizmann Institute of Science , 76100 Rehovot , Israel
| | - Zaida Luthey-Schulten
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States.,Department of Chemistry , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign , Urbana , Illinois 61801 , United States
| | - Hermann E Gaub
- Lehrstuhl für Angewandte Physik and Center for Nanoscience , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität , 80799 Munich , Germany
| | - Michael A Nash
- Department of Chemistry , University of Basel , 4058 Basel , Switzerland.,Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering , ETH Zurich , 4058 Basel , Switzerland
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37
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Lo Giudice C, Dumitru AC, Alsteens D. Probing ligand-receptor bonds in physiologically relevant conditions using AFM. Anal Bioanal Chem 2019; 411:6549-6559. [PMID: 31410537 DOI: 10.1007/s00216-019-02077-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2019] [Revised: 07/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Cell surface receptors, often called transmembrane receptors, are key cellular components as they control and mediate cell communication and signalling, converting extracellular signals into intracellular signals. Elucidating the molecular details of ligand binding (cytokine, growth factors, hormones, pathogens,...) to cell surface receptors and how this binding triggers conformational changes that initiate intracellular signalling is needed to improve our understanding of cellular processes and for rational drug design. Unfortunately, the molecular complexity and high hydrophobicity of membrane proteins significantly hamper their structural and functional characterization in conditions mimicking their native environment. With its piconewton force sensitivity and (sub)nanometer spatial resolution, together with the capability of operating in liquid environment and at physiological temperature, atomic force microscopy (AFM) has proven to be one of the most powerful tools to image and quantify receptor-ligand bonds in situ under physiologically relevant conditions. In this article, a brief overview of the rapid evolution of AFM towards quantitative biological mapping will be given, followed by selected examples highlighting the main advances that AFM-based ligand-receptor studies have brought to the fields of cell biology, immunology, microbiology, and virology, along with future prospects and challenges. Graphical abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Lo Giudice
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Andra C Dumitru
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - David Alsteens
- Louvain Institute of Biomolecular Science and Technology, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix du sud 4-5, 1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
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Jiang Z, Bhaskaran A, Aitken HM, Shackleford ICG, Connal LA. Using Synergistic Multiple Dynamic Bonds to Construct Polymers with Engineered Properties. Macromol Rapid Commun 2019; 40:e1900038. [PMID: 30977952 DOI: 10.1002/marc.201900038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2019] [Revised: 03/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Dynamic bonds have achieved significant attention for their ability to impart fascinating properties to polymeric materials, such as high mechanical strength, self-healing, shape memory, 3D printability, and conductivity. Incorporating multiple dynamic bonds into polymer systems affords an attractive and efficient approach to endow multiple functionalities. This mini-review focuses on the use of complementary dynamic interactions to control the properties of soft materials. Owing to the diversity in dynamic chemistries that can be explored, the scope of this article is restricted to polymers and does not include colloids, amphiphiles, liquid crystals, or biological soft matter.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Jiang
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Ayana Bhaskaran
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Heather M Aitken
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - India C G Shackleford
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Luke A Connal
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
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